Written Answers Friday 21 July 2006

Scottish Executive

Employment

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-14287 by Mr Jim Wallace on 2 March 2005 and S2W-25993 by Nicol Stephen on 8 June 2006, why there is discrepancy between the two figures given for total manufacturing employment in 2004.

Nicol Stephen: The difference between the two figures provided for parliamentary questions S2W-14287 and S2W-25993 is caused by the fact that they were answered using different sources and using different definitions. Different sources were used due to the differences in the questions asked in the two parliamentary questions.

  The data used in the answer to parliamentary question S2W-14287 were taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) which is a survey of individuals in the UK looking at various socio-economic issues. This source was used as the parliamentary question requested data on employment in the manufacturing industry which includes employees, those who are self employed, unpaid family workers and those on a government training scheme. The LFS is the preferred source for data on employment.

  The data used in the answer to parliamentary question S2W-25993 were taken from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI) which is an annual survey of businesses. This source was used as the parliamentary question requested data on those employed within the manufacturing industry. The ABI provides information on employees and is the preferred source for data on employees by industry. The ABI does not collect information on self employment.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility for which can be at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Employment

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-14287 by Mr Jim Wallace on 2 March 2005 and S2W-25993 by Nicol Stephen on 8 June 2006, what the level of manufacturing employment was in (a) 1979, (b) 1997, (c) 1999, (d) 2004 and (e) 2005.

Nicol Stephen: The following table reports the level of manufacturing employment in Scotland in 1979 and for the spring quarter in 1997, 1999, 2004 and 2005.

  The manufacturing employment estimate for 1979 is not directly comparable with the estimates for 1997, 1999, 2004 and 2005 due to changes in the definition of manufacturing. The 1979 classification of manufacturing activity was broader and included activities which would now be classified in other industry groups. For example, in 1979 individuals working in vehicle repairs were categorised in the manufacturing sector whereas in 1997 they would fall into the service sector.

  The spring quarter runs from March to May in each year. These figures are estimated from the Labour Force Survey which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

  Level of manufacturing employment1, Scotland

  

 Year
Level of Manufacturing Employment


 1979*
 622,000


 1997**
 380,000


 1999**
 336,000


 2004**
 282,000


 2005**
 279,000



  Source: ONS - Labour Force Survey, Spring Quarters.

  Note: 1. Employment levels are for people aged 16 or over.

  *Manufacturing employment classified using Minimum List Headings.

  **Manufacturing employment classified using Standard Industrial Classification 1992.

Enterprise

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the report, SME Music Businesses: Business Growth and Access to Finance, as it affects Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive will consider this report, and as part of this, will discuss it with both Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Enterprise

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any input into the Department of Trade and Industry’s Local Better Regulation Office project.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Department of Trade and Industry on a wide range of issues, including the setting up of the Local Better Regulation Office.

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much local authorities and other housing bodies have invested in repairing, upgrading and building new homes in the social rented sector in each year from 1993 to 2006.

Malcolm Chisholm: The available information is given in the following table. Information on expenditure on local authority housing is taken from annual Local Financial Returns and information on housing association expenditure is taken from published accounts provided to Communities Scotland.

  

 Year
 Local Authority Housing
 Housing Association Housing


Total capital expenditure (1) £m
Of which:-New building £m
Revenue expenditure on repairs and maintenance £m
Capital costs (2) £m
Repairs and maintenance £m


 1993-94
 465
 26
 312
 n.a.
 28


 1994-95
 492
 36
 328
 358
 34


 1995-96
 537
 27
 345
 446
 44


 1996-97
 356
 19
 345
 429
 54


 1997-98
 317
 11
 371
 245
 73


 1998-99
 336
 9
 384
 343
 99


 1999-00
 340
 7
 396
 290
 115


 2000-01
 350
 n.a.
 409
 384
 107


 2001-02
 352
 n.a.
 440
 281
 94


 2002-03
 402
 n.a.
 449
 384
 111


 2003-04 (3)
 290
 n.a.
 349
 555
 197


 2004-05 (3)
 309
 n.a.
 345
 407
 219



  Notes:

  1. Includes capital expenditure funded from current revenue. Over the period, the main element of local authority capital expenditure on local authority housing was for improvements to properties. Capital expenditure also includes expenditure on the acquisition of land.

  2. Includes units transferred to registered social landlords from local authorities, additions through new build (net of right to buy) and capital costs associated with upgrading new houses.

  3. From 2003-04, expenditure on stock transferred to housing associations in Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway and Borders is recorded under housing association expenditure.

Minimum Wage

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what information it has on how many people aged (a) 22 years and over, (b) 18 to 21 years and (c) under 18 years received the minimum wage in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Nicol Stephen: The preferred source for earnings estimates is the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which is carried out by the Office for National Statistics.

  Table 1 shows the estimated number of employee jobs earning exactly the National Minimum Wage (NMW) by age group for Scotland. The NMW was extended to cover those under 18 in October 2004, ASHE results are for April each year, and therefore 16 to 17 year olds earning the NMW are only considered for the 2005 ASHE results.

  The estimates in the table are based on a sample survey, and as such, are subject to sampling error and disclosure control. Estimates which are disclosive (based on less than three employees) have been suppressed. Estimates are not available by local authority area due to the small sample sizes involved.

  Table 1 Number of employee jobs earning the National Minimum Wage, Scotland

  

 Year
 16 to 17 Year Olds Earning the NMW
 18 to 21 Year Olds Earning the NMW
 22+ Year Olds Earning the NMW


 April 2001
 N/A
 2,300
 12,000


 April 2002
 N/A
 3,600
 22,000


 April 2003
 N/A
 2,300
 11,000


 
 
 
 


 April 2004
 N/A
 1,000
 24,000


 April 2005
 x
 1,900
 35,000



  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

  x – Estimate is disclosive

  Notes:

  1. The estimates are based on the hourly pay excluding overtime and shift premium payments.

  2. The estimates are based on a sample survey, and as such, are subject to sampling error.

  3. To improve coverage and hence make the survey more representative, supplementary information was collected from the 2004 ASHE survey onwards. The 2004 and 2005 ASHE results are therefore discontinuous with the results for 2003 and previous years, for which no supplementary information was collected.

Renewable Energy

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many householders who have applied to the Energy Saving Trust Scotland for a grant to install a renewable energy system will not receive any funding as a result of the decision to suspend the grant scheme.

Nicol Stephen: None. On 16 May 2006, I announced an additional £3 million for the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) for years 2006-07 and 2007-08. This additional investment will ensure that all applications in the system can be dealt with and funded according to the rules of the scheme.

Renewable Energy

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for home energy efficiency grants are outstanding and what sums are involved.

Nicol Stephen: There are currently no outstanding applications under the household stream of the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative other than those received within the last four weeks.

Student Loans Company

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the use of debt collection agencies for the purpose of collecting student loan debt on behalf of the Student Loans Company.

Nicol Stephen: The Student Loans Company only instruct Debt Collection Agencies where all internal collection strategies have failed to yield a payment arrangement and/or a fully completed deferment application form.

Student Loans Company

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many debt collection agencies are approved for the purpose of collecting student loan debt on behalf of the Student Loans Company.

Nicol Stephen: There are currently 11 Debt Collection Agencies on The Student Loans Company panel of agents.

Student Loans Company

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been of using debt collection agencies for the purpose of collecting student loan debt on behalf of the Student Loans Company in each of the last five years.

Nicol Stephen: The following table shows the approximate cost to the Student Loans Company, Honours Trustees Limited and Finance for Higher Education for the collection of Scottish debt

  

 Financial Year
 Approximate Collection Cost


 2001-02
£216,137


 2002-03
£183,982


 2003-04
£190,286


 2004-05
£150,558


 2005-06
£189,634

Student Loans Company

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much student loan debt has been collected by debt collection agencies on behalf of the Student Loans Company in each of the last five years.

Nicol Stephen: The following table shows the total Scottish debt collected by the Student Loans Company, Honours Trustees Limited and Finance for Higher Education over the past five years.

  

 Year
 Total


 2001
£989,509.66


 2002
£885,895.14


 2003
£1,007,112.12


 2004
£1,169,875.83


 2005
£1,263,506.20



  This information was provided by the Student Loans Company.